Homemade... what?

Sorry the formatting is so strange, blogger is being dumb - and I'm too lazy to fix it.

Hey everyone!!!  Still staying super busy with this job of mine, and still suffering from excessive tiredness.  I'm pretty sure it's about time to go to the doctor... but I'm still kind of hoping it's the new schedule and things will get better soon.

Anyway - I hate deodorant.  Really, I do.  I still wear it every day, though.  For years, I've had problems with deodorant either dying my shirts yellow or white in an inconvenient spot and/or causing irritation on my underarms.  I have SUUUPER sensitive skin and a diagnosis of keratosis pilaris, which is where the same stuff that makes your nails gets stuck in your pores.  If you ever noticed how red my arms are... this is why.  Unfortunately, there is no cure so I just do my best (lots of exfoliating and unscented lotions).  Fortunately, it has gotten a lot better than when I was young.  Either people are politer and don't ask (or spread rumors that I'm diseased and it's catching...) or my arms don't get as red (or purple in the case of me getting cold...).  So ANYWAY - I've set out on a mission to go natural in order to help my skin out a bit and here is the first step.

How to Make Your Own Deodorant
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder 
4 tablespoons coconut oil
10 drops/shakes grapefruit essential oil
A tin or jar with lid


In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients, then add oils gradually until you like the consistency, mixing with a fork. Store in a closed container at room temp. (If the mixture seems too soft, try refrigerating it for a bit to firm it up.)


To apply, scoop up a bit with your finger, hold it against your skin for a couple seconds so it melts a little, then rub around.


This is still in the trying out stage - so I don't have a testimony of it yet, but I'll keep you updated. If it works out, I'm going to make a guy scented one for Justin.  The only thing I found was that the coconut oil was very flaky, like cold butter (even though it wasn't cold) so in order to achieve the pasty consistency, I put it in the microwave for 10 seconds and then was able to stir it in better.  Also, I used sweet orange essential oil because Whole Foods was all out of grapefruit.  


This makes enough deodorant for 4 or 5 months.  I'm not sure what the cost would be because I already threw away the receipt, but I still have plenty of ingredients to make more deodorant - so I think that combined with the fact that I won't be shoving aluminum in my pores makes it all worth it.  
Here's what I have coming up next:


Four Homemade Cleaners
Liquid Handsoap
Homemade Body Wash
How to Clean Your Face Naturally
High Efficiency Laundry Detergent
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent


Check it out!

I gotta get used to this.

New job.  New schedule.  New Amy.

So, in case you haven't heard - I LURVE my new job!  Everyone has been pretty nice and for the most part I've been busy and proactive.  However, this job makes me tired in a completely different way than my old job did.  Rather than 2 a.m. working, I wake up every morning at 6:20, usually pull my hair out of a sock bun and am out the door by 6:45-6:50 to catch Trax, getting to work around 7:50.  I spend the day transcribing, mailing out said transcriptions, renewing medical licenses, and other odds and ends.  When 4:30 hits, I'm on the Trax ready to be home, but still have an hour of sitting.  I use this time to crochet (yes, I'm the crazy crochet lady on the train) or to read.  It's actually quite relaxing.
For the first 2 weeks, I couldn't possibly be grumpier.  Unused to a 40 hour work week and add 10 hours of sitting on Trax, I come home ready for bed.  Add to that the fact that Justin has been sick so I don't need much encouragement to just lie on the couch until we go to bed around 10:30 (having already took a couple of naps possibly).
My waist line is suffering!  I've decided that for the time being, you can all refer to me as "The Chunkster."

Over Thanksgiving break (yes, I got a 4-day weekend!!! Jobs where they appreciate their workers are wonderful!), I've worked out 3 times, which is ESSENTIAL to my well being.  I'm not just talking about my waistline and health, I'm talking about the crazies.

You see, I'm a worrier - and I'm very proficient at it and for SOME reason, when I don't have a place to pound out all those worries, they all seem to combine and I just being this mass of anxiety that NO ONE, not even myself wants to deal with.

So, I found a treadmill workout that I can do at the club house here at our apartment complex.  It's only 20 minutes and I think I can spare the couch, and Justin can spare 20 minutes of snuggles so that the crazy doesn't come out.

And yes, at some point I need to turn that 20 minutes into about 2 hours - cause I've got a half marathon to run... working on it!

Toodles!

New!

I added a new side thinger - you guys can now see my running progress/not progress... Haha.  Check it out and hold me to it!

Oodles of Noodles

I'm super excited!!! Only 2 more days of working at IHC and then I start my job at the University on Tuesday.  I can't wait!
I am, however, interested in seeing how this is going to effect my cooking.  I haven't had a full time job working away from home in a long time.  With working from home, sometimes I'd take my 15 minute break or a 5 minute break or whatever and use that time to throw something in the oven or in someway prepare for dinner that night.  Crockpot meals are good, but I get a little anal about not being home to check on them... so we'll see how it goes.
Got some more meatless meals for you though.

Spicy Kale Lasagna - I am a big fan of Annie's Eats.  The only problem is that a lot of her recipes are labor intensive and contain a lot of ingredients.  If you put forth the effort, it's usually worth it, but most of the time I don't want to put forth the effort.  This meal came together quick and easy and I really liked it.  Next time, I will probably make 2 pans of this and let what we don't eat cool and firm up to be wrapped in individual portions in foil and put in the freezer for quick meals or lunches later.  Justin and I got about  5 meals out of 1 pan.  Two changes, I only used 2 cups of cottage cheese because I thought that 4 was way too much.  I also used the cheese I had on hand, which was Colby.  I really don't understand how people buy so many different cheeses, they're so expensive!  It also might be nice to add some zucchini or some other vegetables in, but it was filling and good as is.

Roasted Zucchini Pasta - This was REALLY good and a big hit with Justin.  I think in the summer some added tomatoes would be nice, but besides that I wouldn't change a thing.  It makes a lot so be prepared to love your leftovers.  It tasted even better the next day!  This site has quite a few meatless meals that look rather tasty.

Spaghetti Squash with Grilled Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes - So I have to say... I didn't like this meal.  The only reason I'm putting it up here is because Justin LOVED it.  He said it was up there with the best things I've made... I thought the spaghetti squash was too much work, and I also didn't like the texture.  I'm going to try the same ingredients again, only with regular pasta instead and I'm sure that will work out better.  As a side note, the chicken I made to go with this was actually really good.  I'm still planning on going mostly meatless, but its nice to know I'm not as limited in my choices... for now at least.  Who knows how I'll feel tomorrow.

Look to the sidebar to see what I've got coming up.  You might see something that you'll wanna try!

For YaY!

I already changed this on Fb, so some of you know - but I thought I'd make it blogger official.  As on November 1, I will be working at the University of Utah at the John Moran Eye Center.  I'm going to be a Medical Secretary working for 2 pediatric ophthalmologists.  As a Medical Secretary, I'll be doing transcription for these 2 doctors, as well as answering phones, arranging travel plans, and other secretarial duties.
I am so excited.
In some ways I'm really sad to leave IHC.  I've made a lot of friends there.  Funny to say that I've made a lot of friends when I work from home with only my computer to talk to.  Whenever we stumble upon a word we can't understand or a word we don't know, we can IM another work-at-home transcriptionist to help us out, which usually leads to us complaining about that particular doctor and sometimes, an actual conversation - which leads to Fb friendships and etc., etc., etc.  Even in my secluded environment, I managed to find wonderful friends who love me and accept me for who I really am.  I'm REALLY hoping I won't lose this.
On the other hand, IHC as a whole is not the greatest company to work for.  Most of their staff is underpaid and overworked.  In the medical transcription department, we're paid on production.  So that means that you can work for 8 hours straight, but if it was a particularly rough day or there were technical difficulties, etc., you ate that time and money.  You have a whole slew of doctors that get frustrated at you for their own mistakes and supervisors who try to advocate for you, but their higher-ups aren't listening and the doctors... well, most people know how doctors are.
I'm also excited to wake up every day and get ready, make myself presentable for the world.  Justin and I went to Maurices and bought me a whole new professional wardrobe - and I'm going to be stylin.  I'm excited to be working with real people and interacting on a face to face basis with supervisors and bosses.  I know that this will bring its own set of problems, but I also know it will bring its own advantages.
I am ready to move on.
November 1, here I come!

Going Vegetarian... part of the way

So... I've basically become a vegetarian.  Believe me, it's a shock to me as well.  I've mentioned before that I've been having a hard time with chicken lately to the point that I can't eat it (except for whatever my brother's girlfriend, Nerissa, makes - because let's face it, she's amazing), but it seems to have gone much further than that.  Not only do I not want to eat chicken, I also don't want to eat steak.  This is a HUGE shocker - because I am (or was) a steak kind of girl.
This all started about the time that Emi and I separated.  I doubt that has anything to do with it, but due to the stress of the whole thing - I rarely ate (I remember eating 1 piece of bread, and that was it, for a whole day) and for about 6 months had next to no appetite.  I remember heading to Applebees with a friend and I got my favorite thing there, the Ribeye steak with shrimp and Parmesan on top.  I took a couple of bites and was on the verge of being sick.  Not because there was anything wrong with it or that it wasn't of the usual high quality that I like - I just didn't want the meat.  The same thing happened when I made Justin and I some salmon earlier this year.  I'm tolerating ground beef more than anything - and have had some success with steak and pork in a stir fry (with lots of vegetables and rice).  So, when I was planning out our meals I told Justin that I thought I was going vegetarian.  Luckily, he agreed.  He said that it would probably be better for our diets to treat meat as a luxury instead of a staple.
The other added bonus to this is the price tag.  I keep a very stocked pantry so unless you do, you can't really quote me on this, but for 2 weeks worth of meals I spent $25.  The next time I spent $35, but I did buy some sausage and some sun-dried tomatoes and I planned an extra meal than normal.  That is $60 on a months worth of food for 2 people.

Anyway, to my point:  Here are some vegetarian meals that I've already made and had success with.

Super Bean Burritos - This recipe made 16 burritos and we still have about 9 of them in the freezer.  Justin has been taking them for lunch and we've had them for a quick meal as well.  Not to mention, I really like the way they taste.  Only one change, I switched out the beans for kidney beans as those are Justin's favorite and what we have stocked in the pantry from Costco.

Tomato Bisque Soup - This was my first experience with Butternut Squash and I'm hooked.  My first taste of this really hit the spot.  This is restaurant quality stuff.  You. Must. Try.  The only thing I did differently is that I didn't want to spend the money on half and half (I'm that cheap!) because I had 2 oz of cream cheese in my fridge that needed a home.  So I let that soften, cut it up into chunks, and stirred it in with some milk.  I served this with a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping and some whole wheat Saltines.  Delicious.

White Bean and Sausage Ragout - This is my "part of the way."  You hardly even noticed the sausage in this dish because it was so full of beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and kale.  A ragout is comparable to a stew for those who don't know (I certainly didn't...) and it was really good.  The zucchini was Justin's favorite part.  If you wanted to go vegetarian, you could probably replace the sausage with tofu or leave it out entirely since you've got beans for a source of protein and fiber.

Here's what I've got coming up next:
Roasted Zucchini Pasta
Spicy Kale Lasagna
Spaghetti Squash with Grilled Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes (another halfway and attempt at me liking chicken)

Obviously, I'll need to do some more research on going vegetarian to ensure that we're still getting the nutrients that we need that we'll be missing out on from the meat, but so far my belly is full and my taste buds are happy.

1 year

A year ago today, Justin and I went on our first date and 3 days later, we decided to be exclusive so October 10 is our official anniversary.

Techinically, I met Justin at a party down in Utah Valley sometime in September 2010 with the group of atheists/struggling Mormons/etc.  I remember walking in the kitchen to get a drink and Justin was standing on the other side of the counter.  He looked right at me and I smiled, but he didn't respond so I imagine he must have been thinking about something.  I thought he was gorgeous and to this day, still think that Justin is the most attractive man I've ever met in real life.  He was WAY out of my league.  I was also at the party with another boy so I didn't actually talk to him.
About 2 weeks later, I had told the other boy I wasn't interested and had decided that I was done dating for awhile having dated 4 boys in the last 2 months, 3 of which belonged to this group.  The beginning of October, Justin, having a lot of mutual friends with me, added me on facebook.  We had a brief conversation one night, but I didn't think much of it.  A couple of days later, I got a message from him asking me if I wanted to hang out that night.  I was training for a 10k and going running with my dad so I asked for a rain check and he asked for my number. 
The next day, October 7, he sent me a text asking me if I was going to be running that night too.  I said no and he told me he'd come up to Salt Lake to pick me up.  I was pretty nervous since I'd never ACTUALLY talked to him in person, but I was really excited too.  That night, he came and picked me up and couldn't find my brother's condo.  I walked out front to where he was and he walked towards me and gave me a hug.  He was wearing this black argyle sweater and his glasses.  He was adorable.
We went downtown to the gateway, did a little shopping/looking around, ate dinner at Edo Japan (my choice! yum!), and then went and saw the movie Easy A.  Afterwards, we went to Murray Park, walked around and talked until we eventually got kicked out by the police for being in the park after 10:00.  I REALLY liked him.  He drove me home and told me he'd text me the next day.
The next day Justin texted me as promised and I was having a pretty busy morning.  My brother's friends were getting married and he had forgotten something at home so I had to run down to Salt Lake to give it to him and to be honest, I didn't want to appear too eager.  Eventually, I got a 2nd text from him saying something like, "Amy, I'm going to kick your butt.  Answer me!"  Haha - so I replied back that it had been a busy morning, but that I was wondering if he wanted to get together again that night.  I went down to Orem to see him and we watched a movie.  I had my 10k the next day so it was pretty silly of me to go down there that night, but I did and I'm SO glad I did.  He kissed me - and it was a really good night.
The next morning when I got to Thanksgiving Point for my 10k, I had a text on my phone from Justin that say, "Try not to die, I'm getting rather fond of you."  Haha.
On Sunday, we decided to go hiking to Stewart Falls and on the way up there we had a DTR.  We both weren't necessarily looking for a serious relationship, but neither one of us wanted the other person to be seeing other people.  Kind of a funny situation, but it appeared that both of us were hooked.  We ended up skipping on Stewart Falls because it was too cold and just headed back to Justin's place.  A couple of days later we did end up going to Stewart Falls and Justin made me climb all over the place.  It was pretty scary, but he was impressed with how I handled the whole thing.  While we were up there on the falls, he told me that he was falling in love with me.  It all happened very fast and I didn't say it back at the time.  It took me about 2 more weeks to let him know how I was feeling.

And now, here we are a year later.  It seems like this happened yesterday, but it also feels like a lifetime away.
I pretty much love that boy.